Libya and News Media
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Northumbria Research Link Libya and News Media: the production and reception of new-media news output IBRAHIM ALI OMER A thesis submitted in fulfilment Of the requirements of University of Northumbria at Newcastle For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Research undertaken in the School of Arts and Social Sciences April 2009 Abstract The study takes ideological domination in the field of the media as a point of departure, concentrating on current affairs as one of the most keenly debated issues in the field of mass media since the emergence of news agencies and up to the present age of satellite television channels. The study deals in particular with monopolies of news coverage by the major news agencies, including Reuters, Associated Press (AP), United Press International (UP), and Agence France Press (AFP). The study focuses on the cultural dimensions of news stories and the controversies over their content which have spurred regional and international efforts to establish alternatives to the one-way flow of news and information from core countries to the rest of the world. The study also focuses on American domination in the field of news and the establishment of CNN, which has itself become a symbol of American influence as well as a significant influence on the live news coverage of events. The impact of CNN has also triggered many reactions, including efforts in various countries to compete with it in order to cover the news from perspectives within these countries. The study goes on to focus on the Arab region, which has its own characteristics but also shares many features with other peripheral countries, particularly in the field of the mass media and the reliance of Arab audiences on news sources in core countries. This study deals with various issues concerning the mass media and news coverage in the Arab region, providing a historical framework for the development of its mass media; the political atmosphere and other factors which have affected their performance. The study also examines attempts by Arab countries to work collectively in order to establish alternatives to the core countries’ news outlets. By focusing on the Arab region this study aims to examine in particular the significance of the Arab satellite news channels and their success in competing with the news outlets of core countries. The competitiveness of the Arab satellite channels is evaluated, considering Al-Jazeera as a particularly important example. The study finally focuses on Libya as an example both of an Arab county and as a representative of peripheral countries. This section of the work involves an empirical study into perception and evaluation of regional and international news. This provides ideal opportunities to assess the theoretical framework of the study with references to the features and difficulties of peripheral countries. Libya’s efforts in the field of mass media, and particularly its news outlets, are also evaluated. In addition the study examines the attitudes of the Libyan people towards domestic, regional and international news outlets and their significance in terms of news coverage. This provides a thorough understanding of the perceived weaknesses and strengths of these news outlets, and such information may help in the development of a new strategy for the Libyan mass media in order to make them more competitive. List of Contents Contents Page Abstract i Acknowledgments ii Declaration of thesis iii CHAPTER ONE General introduction & purpose of the study Introduction............................................................................................................2 Domination in the field of media as a Global Phenomenon................................... 3 Statement of the Problem...................................................................................... 6 The research questions......................................................................................... 7 Contribution and significance of this study.............................................................8 The Relationship between this Research and Previous and Current Studies........ 8 The Limitations of the Study ..................................................................................9 Methods and Procedures .................................................................................... 11 The Questionnaire............................................................................................... 12 The Interviews .....................................................................................................12 Choice of Subject ................................................................................................13 Libyan Geography and Population ...................................................................... 14 The Libyan Political System................................................................................. 17 Libyan Foreign Affairs.......................................................................................... 22 The Lockerbie Crisis............................................................................................ 24 Conclusion........................................................................................................... 26 CHAPTER TWO The unequal flow of news Introduction..........................................................................................................29 Literature Review................................................................................................. 30 The Controversy over News Coverage................................................................49 Controversy over news Contents ......................................................................... 49 Culturist Approaches .......................................................................................... 69 Contents Page The Monopoly of News Coverage .......................................................................76 News agencies ................................................................................................... 76 Historical review of the major news agencies ........................................................76 The Major News Agencies :..................................................................................78 Reuters .............................................................................................................78 The Associated Press (AP) ..................................................................................79 United Press International (UP) ............................................................................ 79 Agence France Press (AFP) ................................................................................80 Television News agencies ...................................................................................80 The New World Information and Communications Order (NWICO).....................82 Peripheral Country Alternatives:..........................................................................85 Collective News Agencies: ..................................................................................85 Inter Press Service (IPS) :.................................................................................... 85 The Non-Aligned News Agency(NANA) : ............................................................... 87 Pan-African News Agency (PANA) .......................................................................88 Collective Television News Agencies: ................................................................... 89 Asiavision (ABU): ............................................................................................... 89 Afrovision (URTNA) : ...........................................................................................89 Caribvision (CBU): ..............................................................................................90 Arabvision (ASBU): ............................................................................................. 90 Conclusion........................................................................................................... 92 CHAPTER THREE The American domination in the field of news Introduction..........................................................................................................95 American Domination .......................................................................................... 96 CNN as example of American domination.........................................................107 Combating CNN ................................................................................................112 France 24.......................................................................................................113 Euronews .......................................................................................................114 Channel News Asia(CAN)..............................................................................114 Telsur.............................................................................................................114 Conclusion......................................................................................................... 115 Contents Page CHAPTER FOUR The production and reception of news in the Arab region Introduction........................................................................................................117